After six formative years training at the renowned Great Dixter and time at the Beth Chatto Gardens, Fine Art graduate and plantsman Dean Charlton returned home to South Yorkshire to realise a long-held family dream. In 2024, Dean and his father Glenn revitalised a historic four‑acre walled garden near Rotherham, launching Hooton’s Walled Nursery as a new hub for horticultural excellence in the region.

In this talk, Dean shares this story – from inspiration and restoration of the garden to cultivating a family‑run nursery rooted in both tradition and creativity. He’ll reflect on the gardens and nurseries that shaped their vision, the art that informs his planting ethos, and how passion, generosity, and community underpin his work.